Politics and The Death Penalty

An easy way to answer these questions is to totally nullify capital punishment completely. One reason why the death penalty is so controversial is because many feel its cruel ways of punishment are unnecessary, even if the crime is murder, whether it be premeditated or unintentional. They believe there are other ways of condemnation besides execution. In the case of an unintentional death feelings are that the perpetrators should have the right to live, but have to face each day with the fact that they killed someone weighing on their conscience. On the other hand, such as with a voluntary murder, the ideas are somewhat similar.

The fact is that the criminal had the choice between right and wrong, and by choosing to do the wrong thing, he or she gave up the right to dictate his or her future. Death penalty cases do cost extra than a life without parole sentence; however, because there are a greater number of life without parole sentences, the costs even out. The deterrence of crime that the death penalty creates is not seen very well in statistics because of some flaws in the research. Although the statistics are not in favor nor against capital punishment, common sense is in favor of the death penalty. Ernest Van Den Haag, a supporter of the death penalty once said, “People fear nothing more than death.” This fear of death has the ability to dissuade criminals.

I found countless reasons why the death penalty should be abolished, such as the high cost that taxpayers pay for an execution, the innocence of people that sit on death row, and the lack of relaying evidence in criminal cases. In all, these factors contribute to why the death penalty should be overturned. In the early 1800s, societies sentenced death as a punishment to any person that committed a crime. In today’s society, the act of death as a punishment is still in effect. Capital punishment is the practice in which a convicted person is punished for committing a crime so heinous that he should be punished by death.

By allowing the organized extermination of living human beings the government is telling the public that they have the right to extinguish anyone they think is a murderer. The very idea of killing another for killing is inherently hypocritical. By enforcing capital punishment, the government is telling the public that it is okay to kill as long as you have more power than the person you are killing. This is of course a very cut-and-dried interpretation, but it is what the message boils down to. The problem with such a hypocritical notion as an eye for eye, is its fundamental inconsistency.

Finally, the death penalty also denies the sanctity of life; by executing people, the action does not protect their life and, therefore, denies the sanctity of a human being’s right to be alive in the world. There is a lot of tension between whether or not capital punishment is a moral thing. Capital punishment is only a good punishment to a certain extent because it takes away a criminal capable of more awful things. Many people think that capital punishment should continue to be a form of punishment and should be used throughout the country and world. If people on death row could be charged without a doubt and be executed at the time they are proven guilty, many problems could be resolved such as exoneration.

There are many reasons as to why I believe the death penalty should be legalized in all states, including deterrence, and morality. The use of capital punishment greatly deters citizens from committing crimes such as murder. Many people’s greatest fear is death; therefore if they know that death is a possible consequence fo... ... middle of paper ... ...If you are tried for the murder of two innocent people you don’t have the right to be sentenced to life in prison where you will get fed three times a day and never pay for your crimes. The Death Penalty can be a difficult topic to discuss because people tend to have different views on it.

Second, Gibson defends his conclusion by arguing that the death penalty acts as an ultimate retribution. The article, “The Case Against the Death Penalty” on the other hand argues that many people who have lost a loved feel as if they have to do everything that is in their hands to execute the murderer; yet this sentiment is not universal. Further more, someone who is sentenced to death row, may not even want anything to do with the murderer of their loved one. In the United States, many who have survived the murder of a loved one have joined Murder Victims' Families for Reconciliation or Murder Victims Families for Human Rights (The Case Against the Death Penalty). Instead of holding anger, as well as resentment toward their loved one’s murderer, they decide to join these groups that help them reach the peace that was taking away from them when their loved one was murdered.

Recently in the United States, there has been 875 prisoners executed, but not one has been proven innocent. The death penalty provides justice to the families involved in the worst crimes (Jacoby). “The execution of a murderer sends a powerful moral message: that the innocent life he t... ... middle of paper ... ...es, but we do not tear the lighthouse down’” (qtd. by Sharp “Death Penalty Paper”). We believe that the death penalty should be enforced because it can be used as a way to put fear into criminals and decrease the murder rate throughout the world.

The predominant school of thought in the American populace lies with the vigorous acceptance for the execution of murderers. While the majority of Americans tend to believe in the inherent right of the state to exact capital punishment on suspected murderers, an increasing opposition to the death penalty can be seen both within the US and globally. The supporters believe that by killing the criminals, the country can be a safer place at the same time as discouraging future criminals. But, as facts continue to prove, enforcing the death row has little to no effect in the deterrence of criminals and instead, can leave innocent people hanging from a noose. The whole system of capital punishment is visibly flawed as its ability to execute the real criminals based upon DNA evidence continues to fail.

A second argument that some people use to support capital punishment is that the fear of being given the death penalty is going to stop criminals from murdering. How many criminals would murder in the first place, even in a state where there is no capital punishment, if they thought there was a chance of getting caught? Most murderers feel that they have a plan to get away with murder (Philips, 2013). Unfortunately, most are right. In response to this I believe that the United States Bill of Rights in the Constitution prohibits cruel an unusual punishment.